It’s only a game
Sam and Synthia, both best friends since kindergarten, were going back to Sam’s house. The sun was going down, life seemed peaceful, and birds were chirping. Synthia and Sam walk into the gigantic entrance area. They both make they’re way to the kitchen and then into the living room, where they watch their favourite show.
Eight p.m, the doorbell rings, it was a pizza delivery. The pair devours the pizzas, and Sam spontaneously jumps onto Synthia shouting “tag your it!” Synthia laughed and chased after Sam, dodging around the furniture. Just as she was about to tag him back, Sam suddenly stopped, his expression shifting. “I left my phone outside,” he said. “I’ll be back in a sec.” Before Synthia could respond, he ran off. She didn’t follow.
A minute passed, then two. The front door creaked open. Synthia turned her head toward the entrance. Muddy footprints trailed across the floor. Her stomach twisted. “Sam?” she called. Silence. A loud thud echoed from the other side of the house, followed by a groan. Synthia’s breath caught. Sam had been knocked out. Someone else was here. Her fingers fumbled for her phone—no signal.
A sharp beep echoed through the house. The security system activated. Doors locked. Windows sealed. Synthia and Sam were trapped with whoever—or whatever—was inside. She swallowed hard. She had to find Sam.
Moving cautiously, she crept through the dim hallway. The flickering lights casted eerie shadows. The floor creaked beneath her feet. She reached the den. Sam lay sprawled on the floor, unmoving. A figure loomed over him. Tall. Motionless. Watching. Synthia gasped. The figure turned—slow, deliberate. A smooth, featureless mask hid its face, hollow eyes staring. She stepped back. The figure lunged. She spun and bolted down the hallway, heart hammering. The security system had sealed every exit—no way out.
Reaching the kitchen, she grabbed the first thing she saw—a knife. Footsteps approached. She held her breath. The masked figure emerged from the shadows. She didn’t hesitate. She swung. The blade cut through empty air. The figure was fast. It caught her wrist, twisting it. Pain shot up her arm. The knife clattered to the floor. “Let me go!” she shrieked, kicking wildly. Suddenly, the figure froze. A voice crackled over the intercom: “Intruder detected, dispatching police!”
A siren blared outside. The figure turned and sprinted into the darkness. Seconds later, the doors unlocked. Synthia rushed to Sam as flashing red-and-blue lights filled the room. Whoever it was… they were gone. For now.